Would-be 2016 GOP candidates woo Iowa’s social conservatives
By THOMAS BEAUMONT and CATHERINE LUCEY After years of campaigning in Iowa for others, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is venturing into new territory as a potential White House candidate…
Jeb Bush
In State of the Union, Obama aims to influence 2016 debate
By JULIE PACE Key elements of the economic proposals President Barack Obama will outline in his State of the Union address Tuesday appear to be aimed at driving the debate…
Romney shows softer side in 2016 campaign preview
By STEVE PEOPLES and THOMAS BEAUMONT Mitt Romney is offering a rare glimpse of his softer side as he marches toward an unlikely third presidential bid focused on poverty and…
Diminished in Congress and many states, Dems weigh future
By CHARLES BABINGTON and ANDREW TAYLOR Congressional Democrats are in retreat in more ways than one this week. As Democratic senators gather in Baltimore to talk strategy and lick election…
Conservatives cheer on Romney as establishment field grows
By STEVE PEOPLES and BILL BARROW Mitt Romney’s unexpected step into the 2016 presidential contest is drawing enthusiasm from the GOP’s most passionate conservatives. But not because they want him…
Eyeing 2016, Jeb Bush applies old lesson from Florida run
By MICHAEL J. MISHAK Jeb Bush called himself a “head-banging conservative” back in 1994 when he ran for governor of Florida on a promise to “club this government into submission.”…
Florida’s Marco Rubio says he can win presidential election
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said Wednesday he believes he can win the next presidential election, offering an unusually aggressive assessment of his chances while dismissing concerns they’re threatened by potential…
After Miami’s kickoff, gays marry across Florida
By MIKE SCHNEIDER Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage ended statewide at the stroke of midnight Monday, and court clerks in some Florida counties wasted no time, issuing marriage licenses and…